Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Expressions of sympathy following weekend tragedies

Last
weekend the Carrickmines fire claimed 10 victims. On Sunday a homeless man died
on the streets of Dublin and later that evening Garda Tony Golden was murdered
and Siobhan Phillips was critically wounded in a shotting in the Omeath, County
Louth.

The
weekend tragedies in Carrickmines, in Dublin, and in county Louth have stunned
and saddened citizens across this state and beyond.

The
deaths of ten citizens, many of them children, on a Traveller halting site in a
horrifying fire, another apparent death of a homeless man in the capital, and
the brutal murder of Garda Anthony Golden and wounding of Siobhan Phillips have
left families bereaved and traumatised, and communities numb with shock and
disbelief.

On behalf of Sinn Féin I want to extend my sincerest condolences to
the extended families of Thomas and Sylvia Connors, their children Jim, Christy and Mary (who was aged just six
months), William Lynch, his partner Tara Gilbert, their children Jodie and
Kelsey, and William’s brother Jimmy. Tara was also pregnant with their third
child.

I
also want to express our condolences to the entire Traveller Community. Two
families were devastated in a tragedy that has drawn universal sympathy and
understanding.

Today
is a moment for the Dáil to stand in solidarity with the Traveller community. But
we have to do more than that.

It
is time also for that solidarity to be extended beyond rhetoric and into
practical expressions.

Since
the events of last Saturday morning disturbing information has come to light
about the conditions on halting sites across the state and the lack of
investment by government and local authorities in safe accommodation for Travellers.

The
Carrickmines site was overcrowded. 29 people were sleeping in cabins and
caravans at the time of the fire.

Dún
Laoghaire-Rathdown
County Council is one of 15 local authorities that accessed no state
funding for Traveller accommodation this year.

In the
last 7 years funding for accommodating the travelling community was cut by 93%.

Even in
difficult times this is unacceptable.

The treatment
of the Traveller community would suggest that local authorities and government
do not prioritise accommodation for travellers in the way they should.

I welcome
the decision by Dublin Mayor Críona Ní Dhálaigh to establish an urgent review
of fire safety at all halting sites run by Dublin City Council.

I also
welcome the announcement today by the Dept of Environment that all local
authorities must now hold audits on safety at halting sites.

This audit
needs to be independent. It needs to include all accommodation for the
Traveller community. There also needs to be a moratorium on the Trespass Act.

It
is important that the heartbreak caused by the calamity in Carrickmines galvanises
government and local authorities to prioritise living accommodation for Travellers
so that the tragedy of Carrickmines is never repeated.

The
morning after the Carrickmines fire the body of a homeless man in his thirties
was found in the doorway of a shop in Westmoreland Street.

While
the circumstances of his death are still not entirely clear I offer our
condolences to his family and friends.

Garda
Tony Golden was murdered in Omeath. On behalf of Sinn Fein I want to extend my
sympathies and solidarity to his family, friends and many comrades in An Garda
Síochána.

Garda
Golden was a respected, dedicated Garda officer who was deeply embedded in the
community of Omeath and the Cooley peninsula. On Sunday he was going about his
work as a Garda serving the community. He was brutally killed as he helped a
young woman, a mother, who was the victim of domestic abuse and violence.

Today this Dáil rightly pays
tribute to his courage, his dedication and his selflessness. He
is a hero.

Adrian
Mackin who tried to murder his partner and who then brutally killed Garda Tony Golden
was allegedly a violent dissident.

“We all need to
stand up and be counted and to strive for equality. We don’t want to go back to
the dark days again of fear and terror.”

Nuala Kerr was right. She was right four years
ago and her words are right for today. None of these groups have anything
positive to offer society.

On behalf
of the people of Louth and of Sinn Féin I want to make it clear that we have no
time for those who exploit and disgrace the proud tradition and noble calling
of republicanism for their own self-serving and selfish ends.

These
people are the enemies of republicanism. They are the enemies of the peace
process.

If
there are any rational people involved with these violent groups; the aftermath
of the killing of Garda Golden and the wounding of Siobhan Philips presents an
opportunity for them to do the right thing.